Award-winning children’s author
As an Australian best-selling children’s author – I write stories for children to share with their grown-ups.
My award-winning children’s picture books and short stories connect with many.
I’m the CBCA 2022 Winner of Children’s Book of the Year – Early Childhood, the winner of the 2023 Aust Speech Pathology Book of the Year 5-8 yo’s for Jetty Jumping.
And I wrote the Notabled 2024 Picture Book of the Year – Early Childhood for In the Rockpool. which is the hero face of Australian Picture Books for the 2024 Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
This was followed by the Notabled 2025 Picture Book of the Year – Early Childhood for Amid the Sand Dunes.
I am a May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust Fellow and I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Media, and Post-Graduate in Crisis Communications, which means I am very good at sniffing out stories and am quite calm during re-writes!
My notebooks are overflowing with new characters, and exciting settings and smudged with story-fuelling Cherry Ripes.
Summer is my favourite state of being, beaches are my happy place and books are my forever friends. I write from my house with towering book piles, tucked in amongst the sand dunes of Bunurong Country on the the Mornington Peninsula.
My love of words has joined forces with my love of children’s books.
I joyfully write children’s books and there are the robust makings of a YA novel currently taking shape too.
Jetty Jumping, illustrated by Hannah Sommerville, and published by Hardie Grant, was released in January 2021. It won the 2022 CBCA Children’s Picture Book of the year – Early Childhood. Thanks for loving it Australia!
Sunday Skating and In the Rockpool, were again illustrated by the most talented Hannah Sommerville and published by Hardie Grant.
In the Rockpool was awarded the 2024 CBCA Notable Picture book of the Year – Early Childhood. It’s follow-up Amid the Sand Dunes has been Notabled in the 2025 CBCA Picture Book of year celebrations.
I have several more books on the way between 2024 – 2026!
I have appeared in several anthologies and collections, I’m the winner of the 2020 Hal Porter Short Story Award, 2023 Mulga Bill Writing Award and Highly Commended for 2024 Mulga Bill Writing Award
I write books for children, and books for grown-ups to love too. There’s a few other stories floating in the book-osphere waiting to land as well.
Children’s Book Council of Australia Bravo’s
Cheers and celebrations during shortlist times As the countdown to the announcement for 2022 CBCA Book of the Year continues, the CBCA has been sharing a fabulously fun BRAVO campaign highlighting the work of all of the creators. Hannah Somerville and I have loved...
Sun Shadow Judging in Bendigo
Great to see you Kangaroo Flat PS The Children's Book Council of Australia Sun Shadow Judging project was an honour to be involved with. I loved our conversations about my creative process, the journey of Jetty Jumping, the reasons behind the language I chose, and the...
Highly Commended for Newcastle Short Story Writing Award
When a short story finds a home, and an award ... Thrilled to share that my short story GOOD SHOES has received a Highly Commended award in the Newcastle Short Story Award Hunter Writers Centre GOOD SHOES is a bittersweet story about coastal homelessness, female...
Actress Angourie Rice reads Jetty Jumping with Story Box Library
Story Box library shares Jetty Jumping Goodness! Well, that's rather special! Such an adorable story sharing by Australian actress Angourie Rice for Story Box Library It is a thrill to hear what this story means to Angourie and see her share the joy of Jetty Jumping....
Police Point Writer in Resident
I just pressed full stop on two weeks of writing in solitude "The only thing one can give an artist is leisure in which to work. To give an artist leisure is actually to take part in their creation.” - Ezra Pound Being awarded a two-week Mornington Peninsula Arts and...
Jetty Jumping makes it to the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge
Let's get reading Victorian school kids It's rather cool to find your picture book in classrooms and libraries across the land, as part of the Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge. The program improves literacy skills, encouraging children to explore new worlds,...
Shortlisted Book of the Year
A shiny new shortlist sticker ... Illustrator Hannah Sommerville and I have several things in common, but this one makes me smile - we've always been drawn to books displaying the shiny CBCA stickers. And now we have our own! Thanks to the CBCA for shortlisting Jetty...
Jetty Jumping makes the Notables
I invented a new word .... ‘Shoy’ is a term to describe the state of shock and joy a debut author feels when their book is announced as a 2022 Notable Early Childhood Book in the Children's Book Council of Australia Children’s Book of the Year Awards. Sure, I may have...
Children’s Book Council of Australia Night of the Notables is coming
CBCA Night of the Notables is coming .... On the 22/2/22 I'll be joining fellow Aussie authors and illustrators for the 2022 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Notables List. I can't wait to celebrate the incredible talent we have in this country and the stories readers...
New book contract!
Cake, cuppa, contract! And a little hint about my next book with Bright Light Publishing (an imprint of Hardie Grant Egmont) I can’t wait to roll this one out for readers! Stay tuned for more news soon. I loved writing this new book baby during lockdowns - it kept me...
Taking it outside with Natured Kids
Sandy feet & saltwater grins for story time fun The best ever story time session was held this week under the shade of a jetty, with my feet in the sand as the weather teased us across Port Phillip Bay. Thanks, Natured Kids for letting me join your lovely...
Novel writing time at Writers in Residency
2022 is the year to finish my novel Which is a good thing. Because I've been given two weeks of focussed, uninterrupted writing time! I'm thrilled to have been awarded the Mornington Peninsula Shire Mornington Peninsula Arts & Culture 2022/23 Artist in Residence...
Front Beach, Back Beach: Shoreline Stories
Story sharing with young voices of the Peninsula I'm so thrilled to have received a Mornington Peninsula Shire Creative Community Grant to deliver Front Beach, Back Beach: Shoreline Stories in 2022. This will be an exciting youth focussed program supporting young...
Book fun with school online
Fast paced, fun and fabulous country Primary School online visit This month's Sacred Heart Primary School Yea virtual author visits for Grade Prep - 2's and 3-6’s was especially fun and fast-paced! This tiny school had big questions and the most thoughtful...
Old worlds, new worlds, other worlds explored for Book Week
Book Week brings us together, from a distance, online Children's Book Week for many children is a rite of passage - the selection of this year's ONE favourite book, the costume planning, the chance to talk about reading like it's an Olympics sport that you...
The secrets of a good story and author chats online
Book Chats are my jam Because I’m fascinated with the world of writers and the process of writing, I love to interview authors who are just as enamored with that world. I chat with authors visiting Antipodes Bookstore for Words After Dark ‘in conversation’ events,...
Jumping into Book Week
A very virtual Children's Book Week In spite of Lockdown restrictions, many of this year's Book Week engagements will happen online and I've got my on-camera delivery down pat. You should see my virtual story time studio I've cobbled together as well, with a...
Lockdown Lament and my favourite things
Lockdown lament 3 Lockdown's ago I managed to squeeze in a book launch of my children's picture book Jetty Jumping. Alas most of the bookstore visits were re-scheduled or cancelled, though my local Mornington Peninsula bookstores Antipodes Bookshop, Farrells Books and...
I spy Children’s Book Week
I spy CBCA Book Week 2021 CBCA Children's Book Week is the place to be and a state of mind when you love to read, write and breathe children's picture books! I have always firmly taken it by the hand as a picture book lover, mum costume maker and story-time...
Write, read, sign books, repeat
Write, read, sign books, repeat Well, hey there Summer, you sure did sizzle with oodles of author readings and signings. I'm now falling into Autumn with another reprint of Jetty Jumping hitting bookstores. Here's a glimpse of some of the fun we've had so far:...